UKC

Before the barrage of "find some friends" posts, I often have weekends where my usual climbing partners are busy and I only have time for a quick trip where shunting higher tech grades than I lead is most beneficial.

I was considering goblin combe for such a trip - from looking at UKC (guidebook to be purchased) I can't tell if top access is easy - any advice?

Also could other shunters/punters express their opinion on the best place to practise in this area...

I like sea walls as it is already polished to hell and the bolts make easy re-belays.

In reply to Twigger:

Access to the top of Goblin would be a bit awkward I would think, but the guide does specifically mention polish from top-ropers doesn't it?

In reply to Twigger: Try the righthand side of Sea Walls at Avon; simply walk round the side to set-up your rope.

In reply to ally smith:
Upper Wall is traditional. it's a slightly tricky scramble very exposed scramble to bolts above the routes. Routes E2-E6

In reply to Twigger:

Avon New Quarry is where I used to go.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=30

In reply to Twigger:

I've seen a few people shunting on the ramp. Though requires a few runners to stop you swinging out.

In reply to Twigger: Goblin can work ok. If you go up the gully of doom to the top of Gundabad, if you're careful you can get along the top of the crag and there are plenty of trees to belay to. |It's not "Easy" but it's there and doable. Stuff at Fairy Caves can work too with access up the alpine ridge, although you definitely definitely want a weighted rope. Failing that, I dare say you could do some stuff at Fly wall too.

In reply to Twigger:

Trym Valley is ok. but wear a helmet!

In reply to The Pylon King: Good shout, what is at the top? easy access? Is it in the newer (2004) guide book? (UKC says not)...

Thanks for all the other suggestions!

In reply to Twigger:

There's a path to the top of two crags (lover's leap and Goram's chair) and you can easily scramble up to the the top of the others from paths. Trees at the top of the crags on the west side, Goram's is a bit more of a faff. Access to the top of armistice wall is a bit harder, could aid up the bolts I suppose...

2004 guidebook? It's in Avon.

In reply to Twigger:

When dry the earth gullies separating the buttresses are pleasantly straightforward. After rain they become unpleasantly slippery mud gullies, which can take a couple of days to dry out after the rain stops.

Locating the tops can be tricky in places until you get familiar. You have to descend a bit through scrub from the level of the gully-tops: not difficult, but very easy to end up in the wrong place. I usually hang a jumper on a tree branch back from the cliff base as a marker.

Other than that, not a bad place to do a bit of shunting. Hope this helps.

In reply to Twigger:

I've done loads of shunting - Goblin Coombe is really good, Owl Rock, easy to scramble up the gully, plenty of trees to belay off...
Right hand side of Sea Walls is great - you can shunt multiple routes off the same belays, starting with Don't Slip and SOS off the bolt belay station, then move across to a small tree and bolts, do Padansac, Just So and Crucial Pursuit...move across to the big tree and by use of various slings, in situ pegs etc you can shunt Fast Grip, Last Slip, Ffoegs Folly....that lot is my usual circuit, do them twice each for a decent workout...
Upper Wall is great, scramble down from the top, safety rope in place, good bolt belays and get stuck into Arms Race, Mirage, Street Life...
You can get a hell a lot done on shunt, quite quickly, best bit of kit I ever bought...

In reply to HappyTrundler: That's the exact same circuit that I used to do when I lived down there. It only takes an hour to do them all as the ropes are set up for multiple climbs.

In reply to All:

Thanks for all the inspiration...shame the weather isn't so